Combining Fodder School Lessons

In my previous post, I shared that I made some master sheets from our May Fodder School lessons with Tiffany Sharpe and I then enjoyed watching cool lessons in June with Karen Elaine about making a blizzard book. I've managed to find time this holidays to combine both ideas into one finished project for me. First a reminder that the master sheets started like this

I am always thrilled by the magic of how they look when you cut them into smaller pieces

And then you add extra bits to make each special. I was sorting through ideas for focal points and found some botanicals from a lesson with Tiffany in Fodder School 1 which worked so well. The beauty of working across years with similar colour palettes...

Normally I would add words, but these feel finished as they are and on the back I just brayered some colour 

Karen Elaine taught us a blizzard book form which creates pockets for cards. I made my pages using some wrapping paper

Then a cover with a belt to close

It's a really useful book form to have learned, and fits in my hand - only  14cm high x 9 cm wide.

Fodder School 2 continues until September (you can still join FS 1 and/or 2 here), and there is going to be a Fodder School 3 with new teachers. There's a Free Fodder Challenge in July to meet them. One new lesson will drop into the classroom each day from July 10 for 12 days. You will have free access to these lessons until August 4, 2023. (Fodder School 3 students will receive "lifetime" access to all Fodder Challenge 2023 lessons.) Register HERE. Might see you there.

Looking forward

You may have noticed my last review post was April! While I've made progress with some projects, and watched lots of inspirational lessons, I've not got many finished things to share. It's now school holidays again, so I thought I'd give you a bit of a review since April and share what I'm looking forward to, including some more free classes. In May, I did make Mothers' Day cards

and I managed to make some master sheets from May Fodder School lessons with Tiffany Sharpe

I've enjoyed watching cool lessons in June with Karen Elaine in Fodder School and I'm hoping that this holidays I'll be able to combine both ideas into one project for me. 

I've been working in my JIYA Journal created from Megan Quinlan's class and combined with lettering techniques learned with Wendy Solganik's lettering class. Here are a few of those completed spreads : 

June was the final month for Roxy's stitched "Down the garden path" project. I have loved having these prompts and am so happy with my progress. These are the bits you haven't seen yet : Pond, Tree, Favourite Flowers and Birdhouse (not yet complete)

Our final prompt is "choose your own adventure" - decide how you want to finish. Hopefully in a few days I'll be ready to share my completed roll.

I've been looking forward to my 2 week July school holidays which started this past weekend. As well as having planned a couple of mini breaks away and play days with friends, there are lots of free creative events that I know from experience will inject some arty joy into my time off. See the free events in my previous post, which includes information about the Make, Create, Express weekend, Get Messy's Junk Journal July, and the Free Fodder Challenge from Fodder school (preparing for Fodder School 3) Register HERE. 

Laly Mille is reopening her Free Art Journal Dreams retreat from 19-25 July. Join here. It's the same as the one she did in March 2023, but you are welcome to repeat or join fresh. 

As well as those, Francisca Nunes has announced a free class on making a Flowers Magic Art Journal. 

This is in preparation for her upcoming Flowers Magic Art Fest event - I'll share more details when I know them.

Go HERE for links to both. The art journal class is available right now. You may remember that last year I took part in the 2022 Flowers Magic journal class and created this beauty. 

Looking forward to this year's offerings and hopefully some progress made in taking this journal to the next stage. 

So plenty to look forward to, but I always struggle to be as productive in our NZ Winter months. This year as an added distraction, I've got myself a new job! It was my last day as  part-time librarian and part-time office adminstrator at Carncot Independent School on Friday. I am now on school holidays for the first 2 weeks of July and then I will be the Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School full-time (40 hour/week during term time) librarian. I am so excited. I know this will impact my art practice and I need to think about my expectations of myself, but for now - it's school holidays ♥ I hope to continue to post here on my blog as time and motivation allows, but I do so more regularly on my Instagram and Facebook Artist's page. Hope to share again soon.

FREE online art classes

So many free delights available at the moment. Can be overwhelming, but if you focus on just a couple of new ideas or artists these online events can re-ignite your creative groove.

Brooke Henry has a free offering which is not time-bound. Get it HERE : Fringe Flip book

This weekend I've been watching some of the Virtual Art Summit created by Kellee Wynne Studio - find out all about it HERE. There's a Free Option which gives you access from June 2 - 23, 2023, bonuses not included. Or you can purchase the Virtual Art Summit and keep the content forever as long as you sign up before 23 June.

Coming up this week (12th June so Tuesday here in NZ), Tam of Willowing Arts has her Kaleidoscope 2023 Free Taster Week. Sign up HERE for 17+ inspiring creative taster sessions from 16 teachers. You can, of course, then sign up for the actual class. It's a wonderful course about colour and you have forever access. I did it when it first launched in 2020 and always enjoy visiting the taster week and being reminded to go back to what I've learned. 

Then looking ahead to July's offerings. Grateful I have school holidays for the first 2 weeks of July!

There's Get Messy's Junk Journal July. Click that link to get the prompts and each day throughout the month you’ll find a new video from a different creator on YouTube (look there from July). They’ll create a journal page for that day’s prompt. 

Then the free Art is Magic Creative Retreat weekend is on the 8th and 9th. This weekend has 26 art lessons, from 26 artists from around the world. Just pick a couple to try, or join for forever access. Find out all about it HERE. 

And there is going to be a Fodder School 3 with new teachers. There's a Free Fodder Challenge in July to meet them. One new lesson will drop into the classroom each day from July 10 for 12 days. You will have free access to these lessons until August 4, 2023. (Fodder School 3 students will receive "lifetime" access to all Fodder Challenge 2023 lessons.) Register HERE. 

Winter has arrived in New Zealand. I'm glad I have a good heater in my craft studio so I can enjoy all this goodness.